A 52-year-old Lagos-based businessman, Deacon Michael Nwankwo, and his wife, Victoria (50), recently welcomed a set of triplets after being childless for 25 years. In an interview, the couple said the journey was a tough one as they earnestly desired children. According to Deacon Nwankwo, “my purpose of getting married when I did was to have children and see my children and I grow together. I got married at 26. My wife was 24, and we married as virgins.I couldn’t imagine it would get to that point where I would have to wait for 25 years.

“During our first two months in the marriage, my wife got pregnant and unfortunately, due to inexperience, we travelled to Ghana and she had a miscarriage. Thereafter, it just went up and down. It was not an easy journey to walk. My joy is that at the end of the day, when it seems like all hope was gone, God brought these triplets – two girls and one boy.

“Of course, I sought help. Generally, you know how it is in Africa and even all over the world. Once you marry, people start counting (years) for you. So, when we couldn’t have a baby after some months, we went for a medical examination to know what was happening and the doctors gave us some medications. I deal in health and wellness products too, so I administered them as well. I have had couples who walked up to me with complaints of infertility and after I handled the case, a few months later, they’d come back with the good news that they had conceived. I have many people like this. We, as a couple, sampled all godly opinions which came as advice in search of solutions.

“But the matter kept lingering from one point to the other. My wife was even operated upon in 2006 for fibroid. Thereafter, we also kept waiting from one point to another. So, it was not easy at all. We even did an IVF (in vitro fertilization) but it didn’t work for us. We spent so much, yet it didn’t come out successful. After some months, it just flushed out. We did whatever was godly as Christians. In all this, we had absolute faith in God and did not step out to try anything outside God. Many pastors and ministers also prophesied to us that God would answer us, urging us to be more patient. That was exactly what we did, but I must tell you that it was not easy at all.

“One time, I remember a mentally-ill man met us around Jibowu Street, Lagos, some years back, and told my wife that she was not going to have a child but God would give her children at the right time. It was amazing and surprising. Time was ticking and it was of concern to us. When we looked at the people we got married together with or those who married after us, their children had finished university while some are already in school. Others have even got married. It was heart-aching.

“At a point, I started calculating. I kept asking God, “When will I start having my own (children)? When will my own be?” There is nothing like seeing your own children grow before you and giving them all the necessary support and running around with them as they grow. It was tough. It was not easy,” he said.

He added that the Nigerian society was also not helpful as whenever they went out, people would ask us them about children.

His wife however added that while she is happy and at a loss for words, adding that “people laughed at me. People said many things to me, but I wasn’t moved. I also thank God for the kind of man I married. He didn’t listen to all of the things people were saying. At a point, men were even approaching me to tell me to try them since my husband was not working. I knew nothing was wrong with my husband and nothing was wrong with me. It was just a trial of our faith and I didn’t let it bother me. I want more kids,” she said. (Story adapted from The PUNCH)

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